Hey, quick question: is it true that high rep sets don't stimulate the production of testosterone or growth hormone and, as a result, don't promote hypertrophy?

I'm on a cycle now where I do two weeks focused solely on 15 rep sets w/30 seconds rest between sets, two weeks with 10 reps and 60 seconds rest, then two weeks at 5 reps w/90 seconds rest. All are exhausting in their own way, but am I wasting time with the 15 rep sets?

Apologies if this was already covered, I couldn't find a similar topic in the search engine.

In my experience I've found high reps / longer time under tension can be quite productive for stimulating growth, especially were my legs are concerned. If your goal is to optimize your muscular development, then the weight is of second importance, growth is stimulated by fatiguing the muscles.

mrbear666 wrote:what do you guys see as high reps? to me its above 20, just wondering if it is the same for you guys?

Hi Mike,

For me, i tend to use a weight that allows me to still stay within an anaerobic pathway, that's means no more than 60-70 seconds of time under tension, so for example, if i was taking 3-4 seconds to complete a rep, then your talking anywhere between 15-20+. As far as an exact rep number goes, i don't have one, just whatever rep i hit failure on.

i think thats what i kinda do at the moment Rob, gives a better pump too! im trying to stop worrying about numbers and just go for feeling nowadays.............lighter weights higher reps has gotta be better for joints tendons and so on also

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mrbear666 wrote:i think thats what i kinda do at the moment Rob, gives a better pump too! im trying to stop worrying about numbers and just go for feeling nowadays.............lighter weights higher reps has gotta be better for joints tendons and so on also

That's it mate, as long as you still staying within an anaerobic pathway your good ta go. Are high reps better for the joints / connective tissues? There is unfortunately a wear and tear / damage element here too.

vegan_rossco wrote:Hey rob, do you go to failure each set? I always told to avoid going to failure.. But am willing to give it a try

Hey Ross

I've had a lot of debates over this one lol

This is what i believe...

The stimulus needs to be of a sufficient magnitude to warrant an adaptive response. You literately need to threaten your own physiology, and in my opinion, performing 4,5,6 or even 10 sets to only a certain point with the same weight and for an arbitrary number of reps just doesn't cut the mustard! I've (and anyone i've ever trained) always found training to failure to be the most productive and efficient way to train.

When training to positive failure, and as you grow stronger, one MUST properly manage the stress (yes you can train to failure and manage stress), and one MUST regulated their volume and frequency accordingly, if you don't....your progress will come to a grinding halt.

bodybyvi wrote:Hello,In fact High reps are superior for hypertrophy. And Low reps are for muscle. Thank you.

Isn't hypertrophy muscle? Don't quite get what you mean

That aside, it's still a very blanket statement. Everybody is different, and while certain theories hold true for the most part it definitely isn't a given. I managed to gain a lot of muscle on relatively low rep training (as opposed to your typical 8-12 rep bodybuilding-type-hypertrophy rep ranges), so for me I wouldn't exclusively increase my reps if hypertrophy was my primary goal.